Need help on juniper refinement techniques

[Vance Wood]

Here are several pics of local Junipers from the Mountains including the foliage of Utah Juniper and a couple of others. I am not sure if they are Horizontalis or Comunis.

This location is near Bryce Canyon above 7000 ft.

 

[sorce]

I may make this the wallpaper for my laptop

Lol. That's up for interpretation.

It may very well serve better as a decoration....if you mean WTF is this S.

Or a constant reminder to leave it?
If it was helpful.

Either way....
Folks talk about trying to reinvent the wheel. But they fail to realize they are working with a good round wheel in the first place.

In choosing to work, hastily at times, with this type of material, we are forced to only, knock that wheel back true sometimes, when we wreck it.

Its not part of the professional process, so how do pros know of this step?

I think these are the Sub-steps a lot of "old pros" are unaware of, or forgot. So it's easier to tell you to get better material they are familiar with, so they can tell you the "right way" to do it.

Nature says you can use this....and there is a way to get it there. And from every particular state, there is a particular path to righteousness with regard to time and efficient use of energy.

All I'm saying is....I think this material is worth going slow....and in that time, righteousness can be visualized. In a shorter amount of time.

Or did I say that already?

Sorry and not for the confusion....
But if not for the confusion there would be nothing to be sorry for. And sorry if the wheel was spun in confusion not righteously rolled forward.

But I would rather spin the wheel like a coin....it's prettier that way!
I don't like unicycles!
But I love penguins!

Sorce

 

[YukiShiro]

Hi Lazy,

These grey owls do come around in the end and the foliage does tighten up quite a bit, they back bud nicely without much human intervention. It's not such a bad juniper to work with as bonsai. Though i don't think the foliage will ever be as tight as the shimpaku junipers(kishu, itoigawa, shimpaku) but they do lend a certain charm to the EN with their grey foliage. brings something else to the collection. no need to graft something else though, your grey owl will tighten up enough to look credible. but yes do get some of the Japanese scale junipers, they are a treat to work with

for your tree, fertilize it enough to get healthy foliage but do not over fertilize it, let it grow for this season.Then next spring( if the tree looks up for it, otherwise wait another growing season) go in and strip out all the foliage without actively growing tips on the inside, also then cut out the long runners on the ends, let it grow for the rest of the season, then in autumn you can do the cutback to create taper and wire the tree out again.

Mine looked exactly like yours does foliage wise.

here is a link to my fiance's grey owl and Vin has posted quite a bit of info there too
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/virginiana-grey-owl.10412/

Best regards
Herman

 

[YukiShiro]

View attachment 90809 View attachment 90810 View attachment 90811 View attachment 90812 View attachment 90813 Here are several pics of local Junipers from the Mountains including the foliage of Utah Juniper and a couple of others. I am not sure if they are Horizontalis or Comunis.

This location is near Bryce Canyon above 7000 ft.

Hi Mr Wood,

I take it the first photo is of Utah Juniper foliage? WOW that's nice! I wonder why it goes bonkers in bonsai cultivation ? anyone know why yet?

Best regards
Herman

 

[Lazylightningny]

Herman, thanks for the link and the advice. This one is still very early in its development. I'll take a look at how it grows this season and get back to you.

I have trouble sourcing good quality junipers in my area, and the ones available online tend to be pricey. I'll keep my eyes open, though. You're lucky to have a sweetie that participates in bonsai with you. My wife appreciates my work, but doesn't get involved at all.

 

[Adair M]

Hi Mr Wood,

I take it the first photo is of Utah Juniper foliage? WOW that's nice! I wonder why it goes bonkers in bonsai cultivation ? anyone know why yet?

Best regards
Herman

There are several varieties of juniper that grow wild in the Western US. Some are better than others foliage wise. Even within a species, some individual trees are better (or worse) than others.

 

[Vance Wood]

Hi Mr Wood,

I take it the first photo is of Utah Juniper foliage? WOW that's nice! I wonder why it goes bonkers in bonsai cultivation ? anyone know why yet?

Best regards
Herman

I don't know. It is probably the process of trying to force them to grow in Akadama?? I really don't know. Sometimes experienced people can be their own worst enemies.

 

[Adair M]

I don't know. It is probably the process of trying to force them to grow in Akadama?? I really don't know. Sometimes experienced people can be their own worst enemies.

Well, that's nonsense, Vance. I've seen many excellent native junipers grown in a mix that includes akadama.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yep, and plenty of native junipers growing on the same hillside with foliage that ranges from stringy to Kishu-tight.

 

[YukiShiro]

Herman, thanks for the link and the advice. This one is still very early in its development. I'll take a look at how it grows this season and get back to you.

I have trouble sourcing good quality junipers in my area, and the ones available online tend to be pricey. I'll keep my eyes open, though. You're lucky to have a sweetie that participates in bonsai with you. My wife appreciates my work, but doesn't get involved at all.

No Probz Boet,

ha, we actually met at a bonsai workshop thingy at a nursery both of us frequented but never ran into each other previously

get a cutting of the japanese junipers, they should be cheap...stick it in the ground and grow your own stock

In the mean time, buy about 10 more Junipers. Get some Procumbens Nana. I like them... Tough, easy to work with and nice and compact even whe spitting Juvi foliage, easier to find than Shimpaku. Get SOME SHIMPAKU TOO THOUGH! Trouble finding some? Let me know.

get a hold of this guy maybe ? seems like he wants to help

best regards
Herman

 

[YukiShiro]

Yep, and plenty of native junipers growing on the same hillside with foliage that ranges from stringy to Kishu-tight.
View attachment 90960

Hi Brian,

I've heard that people would collect those and the foliage would go stringy on them? heard it more than once, I doubt people would collect specimen with much less than ideal foliage. I don't think its akadama's fault though.

Best regards
Herman

 

[sorce]

Yep, and plenty of native junipers growing on the same hillside with foliage that ranges from stringy to Kishu-tight.
View attachment 90960

I am attemptimg to find the words to make you go get that big Bitch!

If it's legal.....you kind of owe it to yourself!

We gotta mall here named Spring Hill...
You got a destiny with it.

What do you say? Bunny pot by summer!

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

Well, that's nonsense, Vance. I've seen many excellent native junipers grown in a mix that includes akadama.

No doubt; but every body that I have heard discuss this specific species ( Utah Juniper; Juniperus Osteosperma) say they do not do well under cultivation and they smell like cat pee. The Akadama thing was just a wise crack get over it.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Herman, thanks for the link and the advice. This one is still very early in its development. I'll take a look at how it grows this season and get back to you.

I have trouble sourcing good quality junipers in my area, and the ones available online tend to be pricey. I'll keep my eyes open, though. You're lucky to have a sweetie that participates in bonsai with you. My wife appreciates my work, but doesn't get involved at all.

There is a secret to having nice, tight, refined looking foliage on a Juniper- buy Shimpaku (/ Kishu/ Itiogawa...).

Your tree looks nothing like any "Juniperus Virginiana"- known in my area as "Red Cedar"- I have ever seen and they are EVERYWHERE around me... I have never heard of this cultivar, but it certainly does not look like it will develop the tight foliage you want.

It also does not look terribly healthy.. at the very least I'd say it certainly is NOT "THRIVING"! Let it grow for a year, remove wire as you see it start to bite in, and until it really starts to grow actively, do not mess with it!

Then, decide if you want to work with the foliage it has or if you want to learn how to graft. In the mean time, buy about 10 more Junipers. Get some Procumbens Nana. I like them... Tough, easy to work with and nice and compact even whe spitting Juvi foliage, easier to find than Shimpaku. Get SOME SHIMPAKU TOO THOUGH! Trouble finding some? Let me know.

Until you have 5-10+, you are likely to get "itchy fingers" and want to pick at this tree before it is ready for work. The additional tree will give you something to work on while you wait, and you will learn how to care for Juniper ( hopefully, or they will die...), and what makes a Juniper growth habit desirable.

Good luck!

Eric, where do you source your junipers from?

ps is anyone else besides me having trouble editing replies?

 

[augustine]

Lazylightning, Full sun and do not overfertilize. Organic fert would do a great job without causing the foliage to grow too long.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I am attemptimg to find the words to make you go get that big Bitch!

If it's legal.....you kind of owe it to yourself!

We gotta mall here named Spring Hill...
You got a destiny with it.

What do you say? Bunny pot by summer!

Sorce

Knowing what I know now, I would be tempted, and have some confidence it would make it. I can drive right to the tree, but it is about 12' wide.

 

[sorce]

Knowing what I know now, I would be tempted, and have some confidence it would make it. I can drive right to the tree, but it is about 12' wide.

If you can get your truck right close to that side of the hill, with a couple planks, I'll bet you can get it yourself on a foggy morning.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Waiting on a ball snipping.

2 city J.Crack....
West facing pic...so shaded for the better part of the afternoon.


Nice little booty hole...
I mean Shari....City Shari....yes....this is not a mountain!
Not my turds, or my dog's turds, not my potato chips.

This one is just to discus this lanky branch, I see it as a necessity, for this tree, but not hard to fix as a bonsai. Foilage next post.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

A couple...not the greatest, but it's 15F!




Reading that up there again, 15F! Kinda NOT grey! Man!, this winter?

To me....this foliage is nothing a little observation and effort can't make tight.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

This was actually the best foliage I've seen on these...quite impressive for being shaded from 1pm on.....

Bits of Juvenile here and there...
But real thick throughout.....
Dense......lol

Anyway....I don't like basing conversation about our area's most abundant wild sprouting juniper around grafting..

I like to think of it.
To use it.

I love em!

Sorce